Direction indicator



Jan. 28, 1930. G. POHLMANN ET AL DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed Jan. 16, 19295 2i: \\\\\WWW 25 l mfimummun k I .i

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Patented Jan. 28, 1930 GUSTAV POHLMANN AND JOHN STATTMANN, OF BROOKLYN,NEW YORK DIRECTION mmcaron Application filed January 16, 1929. SerialNo. 332,758.

The present invention relates to signalling devices and is designed foruse with automobiles or other vehicles.

One object of the present invention is to provide a signalling devicewhich is composed of a minimum number of elements thereby insuringsmoothness of operation and small possibility of the device etting outof order.

Another object is to provide a device operable on current supplied fromthe ordinary storage battery or other source of electric power employedin the vehicle.

A further object is to provide a device which will be self locking ininoperative position and which it will not be possible to operate inother than the prescribed manner.

Still another object is to provide a si ling device which will bereadily visible both at night-time and in the day-time.

Yet'another object is to provide a device which may be readilymanufactured without any great cost of production or material.

With these and other objects in View which will be readily apparent, ourinvention consists in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described which will be more fullyunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawing which forms part ofthis specification, in which similar reference characters denotecorresponding parts in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation View partly in section our new device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of Fig. l with the arm in signallingposition.

Fig. 3 is a section through the. signalling arm of my device.

Figs. 4 and 5 are modifications of my device and Fig. 6 is a diagram ofthe electrical connections thereof.

Referring to the drawing 10, denotes a casing or frame in which ourdevice is housed, said casing being open along a greater portion of oneedge and provided in the closed 1 opposite edge with a set off portion10. Mounted on a support 11 interiorly 0f the casing and partly in saidset off portion 10 is a solenoid 12 consisting of a'multi-turned coil of.wire.

in Which is freely and provided with a central bore 12 slidably fitted amagnetic plunger 13 of magnetic material as iron or steel. Provided atplunger 13 is a bore 13' the upper end of the and adapted to fit in saidbore is a rack 14 which may slide in said bore, the length of slidebeing limited by a pin 15 extending through said plunger and a slot 16in said rack. I

A tension spring 18 or other suitable tensioning means, continuouslyurges the rack into t causing said pin 15 to he bore in the plunger restagainst the upper portion of slot 16. Mounted on said plunger orintegrally formed projection 19 for -a specified.

The signalling means therewith is a lip or purpose hereinafter proper inthis case, an

L shaped arm 20 is pivotally mounted in the casing 10 by means of apivot 21 passing through the casing and the short arm 20 of the L.- F

ix edly mounted at the end of the short arm is a circular gear section22 designed to mesh with the rack 14:, said arm being so pivotedrelative to said rack as to accomplish this and also being so arrangedthat when said arm tion it is practically all One end 22 of said caughtby said lip 19 closed position and the is in non-signalling posihiddenin said casing.

gear is designed to be When said arm is in reby prevent said arm frombeing again raised until said solenoid is actuated.

The arm 20 in form frame 20 and provided parent or translucent walls 20may be composed of a at its sides with transsuitably held to said frameas by an auxiliary frame 20 Mounted interiorly of said arm as forinstance between two spring clips 23 and 24 is an electric light bulbgrounded to the frame is electrically connected 'tactor point 26insulatively mounted in the projecting a slight bit shorter arm 20 andfrom the side thereof.

A contact strip 27 is the side of the casing high side of the solenoid25. The clip 24 is of the arm and clip 23 as by wire 23 toconinsulatively mounted and connected to the as shown in Fig. 6 by wire28, said contact being so placed as to i only make contact wit said armIS in slgnallin b said point 26 when g position.

The electric circuit of the solenoid system is a simple seriesarrangement, in the present instance accomplished by grounding one leadof the solenoid coil to the frame as at 30 and connecting the frame to alead-in wire 31 and connecting the other lead 32 of the coil to a secondlead-in wire 33. Lead 33 may be connocted to one pole of a switch 34 andthe other pole of said switch to one terminal of a battery 35, thesecond terminal of said battery being connected to lead-in wire 31.

The device operates as follows:

When switch 34 is closed currents flows through the solenoid and themagnetic field draws plunger 12 into the coil. The rack 14 does not moveimmediately but plunger 13 moves down against the action of the spring18 causing lip19 to disengage the end 22 of gear section 22, thusunlocking the signal arm. Then as plunger 12 moves further into the coilthe rack 14 moves with it and because of its meshing engagement withgear section 22 causes the arm to swing outwardly from the casing andinto signalling position and retains it in this position until thecurrent is again turned off. When the arm reaches its signallingposition the contactor point 26 contacts with strip 27 and completes thelighting circuit causing lamp 25 to light.

My invention is capable of modification in many ways and for instance inplace of the rack and gear arrangement of Fig. 1 I can substitute thatof Fig. 4 which differs from that of Fig. 1 in that the plunger 13 has atransversely projecting short arm 40 provided at its upper end, said armbeing provided with a horizontal slot 41 in which en'- gages a pin 42mounted on the short arm 20 of the signal arm. Now then when the plungermoves down the arm 20 will be pivoted about its pivot point and the pin42 will adjust itself in slot 41 as the arm swings to signallingposition. As before in signalling position the lamp will light.

In the modification of Fig. 5, the plunger 13 has a narrowed end towhich is pivoted a connecting link 43 which is also pivoted to the shortarm 20 of the signalling arm. A lip 44 is mounted on the plunger andprovided with a small vertical upwardly projecting tab 45 designed whensaid arm is in non-signalling position to engage in a slot 46 arrangedin the lower face of arm 20', thus locking the arm in this position.When current is supplied to the solenoid as before the plunger 14 movesdownwardly causing tab 45 to disengage from slot 46 and then saidplunger continues to move downwardly, said arm is swung to signallingposition and the signal lamp is litas before when it reaches position. i5

' Our device may be modified in various ways without departing from thespirit of the invention involved and we do not wish to be limited by thedetails shown and described.

For instance the gravity return of the signal arm to signalling positionmay be provided with retard mechanism or the like (not shown(; and otherfurther modifications may be ma e.

What we claim is:

1. In a signalling device the combination with a signal arm of asolenoid, a solenoid plunger, a rack slidably mounted in said plungerresiliently attached thereto and engaging a meshing element mounted onsaid arm whereby when said solenoid is actuated said arm will swing tosignalling position, and locking means for retaining said arm innonsignalling position when said solenoid is unactuated including a lipmember mounted on said solenoid plunger and adapted to engage said arm.

2. In a signalling device the combination with signalling means, ofmeans for actuating said first named means including a solenoid, aplunger for said solenoid formed at one end with a recess, a rackslidably mounted in said recess and extending outwardly therefrom,resilient meanscontinuouslyurgingsaid rack to its lowermost position insaid recess, a meshing element mounted on said signalling means adaptedto mesh with said rack whereby said signalling means will be moved tosignalling position when said solenoid is actuated, and locking meansadapted to retain said signalling means in non-signalling position whensaid solenoid is unactuated.

3. In a device as per claim 2 in which said locking means includes a lipmember mounted on said plunger and engaging means therefor on saidsignalling means, said lip member engaging said engaging means when saidsolenoid is unactuated and preventing said signalling means from beingmoved to signalling position.

In testimonyv whereof we aflix our signatures.

GUSTAV POHLMANN. JOHN STATTMANN.

